The Fourth House
by Lupus Malum
Summary: Harry, Ron and Hermione start their third year at Hogwarts. Everything seems to be running smoothly, until the year is rudely interrupted. By a man. In a blue box. From a different universe entirely.
1. Chapter 1

The Fourth House

Harry rushed down the hallways of Hogwarts, carrying an armful of books. Hermione and Ron followed behind him, rushing past first years in an effort to reach their class on time. "Slow down Harry!" panted Ron, as he doubled over clutching at his stomach. "Honestly Ronald!" exclaimed Hermione, looking over her shoulder. "If you stop now you'll be _late_!" Ron rolled his eyes and slowly started into a lumbering jog. With a final spurt, Harry burst into the classroom. Professor McGonagall glared at them intimidatingly. "Potter! Granger! Weasly! All three of you are _late_! Three points from Gryffindor!" They slunk obediently into their seats. "It was only three minutes," muttered Ron to Harry, as they got out their books. "Mr. Weasly! That's three more points from Gryffindor!" The rest of the class glared at Ron, who banged his head on the desk in despair.

"I don't see why _I_ take the blame!" complained Ron, as they walked to detention. Hermione glared at him. "If your stupid rat hadn't got lost in the common room then we would've probably even been _early_!" she retorted, crossing her arms and flouncing ahead. Ron looked to Harry, who shrugged. They sprinted to catch up with Hermione, but she had stopped short outside an empty classroom. "Look at this Harry!" she exclaimed, pointedly ignoring Ron. Harry craned his head to see what Hermione was looking at. "What _is_ that?" he asked, pointing into the empty classroom. They slowly pushed through the door and into the classroom. In the middle of the room, stood a blue police box. Ron pushed into the room. "We'll be late _again_! An' this time it isn't me or Scabbers! McGonagall will probably…" Ron stopped speaking and he stared, gobsmacked, at the box. "What's that then?" he asked, joining Hermione and Harry. Suddenly, the door of the police box opened.


	2. Chapter 2

The Doctor poked his head out of the TARDIS. In front of him were three children, in a bizarre school uniform, gawping at him. The Doctor withdrew his head. "Clara!" he shouted, "Where have you taken us?" His companion, Clara Oswald, withdrew her hands from the TARDIS telepathic circuit. "Bournemouth, I think, why?" The Doctor walked towards her eyebrows furrowed. "Did you think of anything else when you were flying the TARDIS, anything?" he asked. Clara wiped her hands on her jacket, and looked thoughtfully into nothing. "I don't think so…" she replied, as the Doctor walked past her and got out his sonic screwdriver. "Where are we then?" she asked, as the Doctor scanned the console, muttering to himself. "Doctor, _where are we_?" she repeated, as the Doctor looked at his screwdriver, befuddled. He jumped, and then, turning back to the console, he said, "Oh, oh yes, in some sort of school I think."  
"Did you say a _school_ , Doctor?" asked Clara, her hand going to the book in her handbag. The Doctor looked up again. "Oh yes, funny sort of uniform though…" Clara ran towards the door, and opened it before he could finish.

Harry, Ron and Hermione froze as the door opened for a second time. A woman came out of the box this time. She stepped out and surveyed the classroom before her. "No way!" she whispered to herself. Then her gaze fell onto Ron, Hermione and Harry. "No way!" she repeated, louder this time. Ron spoke first. "Um… who are you?" he asked, as the woman stared at them like she couldn't believe they were real. "Oh, C- Clara Oswald!" stuttered the woman. Hermione stepped forward and extended a hand. "Hermione Granger, pleased to meet you." Looking slightly dazed, the woman, Clara, shook Hermione's hand. "Oh, and this is Harry Potter and Ron Weasly," she made a sweeping gesture. Clara's face lit up. "You mean as in Hogwarts," they nodded, confused. "Wizards and magic," she blurted out, "Wands and transfiguration, Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff and Slytherin!" Ron stopped nodding his head, and looked at Harry for support. "Gryffindor, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff, yes," he said slowly, as Hermione walked up behind him. "But what's Slytherin?" Clara froze. "You know, Slytherin, the fourth house?" Hermione wrinkled her nose. "But there are only _three_ houses Clara!"


	3. Chapter 3

Clara stood in shock. "B-but what about Voldemort…" she stuttered, as Hermione crossed her arms, as if it was final that there were only three houses. "Voldy-what?" asked Ron, all thoughts of detention forgotten. "But what about the Death Eaters, what about… Snape!" she babbled, clutching at straws. "Never heard of him," muttered Ron, slightly alarmed by Clara. "But he's my favorite character!" exclaimed Clara, fumbling in her bag. Harry looked at Ron, and they both slowly started to back away. "No, wait, look!" exclaimed Clara, pulling out a battered book. Reaching out like it would bite, Hermione carefully took the book. Harry and Ron crept back again and peered at the cover. "Harry Potter and the… Philosopher's Stone?" asked Harry, looking at the cover in disbelief. "Yes!" replied Clara, "In your first year you found the Philosopher's Stone and defeated Voldemort single-handedly!" Harry shook his head. "The only thing that happened to me in the first year was when I broke my leg and had to go home for the rest of the year."  
"What, back to the Dursleys?" asked Clara incredulously. "Of _course_ not!" laughed Harry. "Not my stupid, muggle relatives. I went back to Mum and Dad!"

Meanwhile in the TARDIS, the Doctor glared at the glowing monitors. "What do you mean we're in a _book_!" he protested, thumping his fist on the console in attempt to change the data. "We can't _possibly_ be in a _book_!" Harrumphing, he spun on his heel and walked up to his blackboard. "Stupid humans," he muttered, wiping it clean. "Always getting _distracted_ by stupid things." The TARDIS wheezed behind him. "Oh shut up you!" he shouted, spinning around. "Nag, nag, nag all the time! Can barely get a word in myself with all your complaining! 'Oh we can't land _here_! You've broken time so we can't land!'" He harrumphed again, and turned back round, just to see a jet of poisonous gas coming right at him.

Hermione watched in astonishment as the box burst open and the man from before fell out. "Clara," he wheezed, "Can't go back in, TARDIS has kicked me out." Clara frowned. "Had an argument with the missus?" she asked, laughing as the man glared at her. He stood up and brushed himself down. "Oh shut up," he grumbled looking up at the box. Then he addressed the box. "You're the best time machine ever and I am an idiot. How about that?" The light on the top of the box flashed once. "Ok then," continued the man. "I am a steaming pile of Abzorbaloff excrement. Happy now?" The doors of the box swung open and the man smiled to himself, and walked in. "Just got to fix this mess Clara, and then we can leave!" he shouted from inside, then the doors swung shut behind him.


	4. Chapter 4

Clara slumped down in a spare chair. After a moment or so Ron, Hermione and Harry joined her. "So," declared Harry, "Why don't I have an awesome lightning scar, like on the cover?" he pointed to the book. Clara sighed. "Because _Voldemort_ gave you that scar, except because there is no Slytherin house apparently, he must've never existed." Hermione cocked her head to one side. "Wait, who was this Voldemort before he was evil?" she asked leaning forwards slightly. "Tom Riddle," replied Clara expectantly. A look of recognition passed across Harry's face, a look of understanding across Hermione's and Ron's just remained blank. "Who's that?" he grunted, twisting his wand in lazy circles. Hermione sighed with irritation. "Tom Riddle," she started, "was one of the best students Ravenclaw ever had. Also one of the best headmasters of Hogwarts, not counting Dumbledore of course." Clara leaned back, reeling from the sudden influx of information. "He died early though," continued Hermione, ignoring an eye-roll from Ron. "He was overthrown by a rabid house elf."

Just then, the classroom door swung open, and a silvery haired boy in a Hufflepuff tie ambled in. "Hullo Ron!" he waved, dodging around a pile of books. "McGonagall sent me to find you. You're over an hour late you know." Ron shrugged, and Hermione gasped in horror. The boy looked at Clara and then up at the TARDIS. "What's that?" he asked Ron, who was glaring at Hermione. "Honestly Draco," replied Ron, "I have no idea." Draco shrugged, waved to Clara and then turned back to Ron. "I'll just tell her I couldn't find you. You excited for Quidditch?"  
"You bet I am!" exclaimed Ron excitedly. "You know we're going to beat you this time, Malfoy!" Draco laughed. "I wouldn't bet on it Weasly! Hufflepuff is getting better and better. Well," he said, remembering why he was there, "I'll be off then, but be warned, McGonagall is on the warpath. She'll have your wand if you're not careful!" With that cheery warning, he ambled back out the way he came, leaving Clara staring in shock.


	5. Chapter 5

"Was _that_ Draco Malfoy?" she asked incredulously, still staring at the door. "Yeah," replied Ron, slumping back into his chair. "He's the Hufflepuff seeker and I'm the Gryffindor seeker but for some reason we get on well. Why?" he asked. Hermione sighed. "Ron," she started. "Ron, Clara asked for one answer, not a whole _biography_. Who cares about Quidditch?" she exclaimed. Ron gasped, as if wounded. " _Hermione_! _Everybody_ loves Quidditch! Anyway, I've been reading the chapter titles, and there is one called 'Quidditch'. Not so smart now are you?" he smirked, and waved the book in her face. Hermione opened her mouth to protest, but Clara interrupted. "Wait a minute, but I thought _Harry_ was the seeker!" They looked at her for a moment and then burst into laughter. "Seeker?" snorted Harry, "I can't even stay on a broomstick! Broke my leg in first year, when Longbottom pushed me off!"  
"Neville Longbottom?" asked Clara incredulously, "pushed _you_ off a broomstick!" At the mention of Neville, Harry and Ron looked uncomfortably at their feet. Hermione coughed. "He's like the, um… school bully. Even the prefects are scared of him."

Before Clara could say anything, the Doctor burst out of the TARDIS. "Alright Clara," he exclaimed impatiently, "I've got her fixed; we can go to Bournemouth now, why you want to go to Bournemouth I don't know. Last time _I_ went there it was cold, and full of Daleks-"  
"No this isn't right!" interrupted Clara standing up. "There are only three houses! Without Slytherin, Ron and Draco Malfoy are _best_ friends! Voldemort never existed! _Neville Longbottom_ is the bully!" The Doctor shrugged. "You know I always knew that Neville was a rotten apple. Anyway, their life is probably a lot better!" Clara crossed her arms. "Doctor, without someone excelling at evil, no one can excel at good. They will just live their lives out in bland normality, and if a threat comes along, there will be no heroes to stop it." Ron stepped forward. "My rat, Scabbers, isn't normal!" he reached into his pocket and pulled out a sleek, brown rat with silky fur. "He's the best pet in my family!" Hermione groaned. "No one _cares_ about your stupid rat! Anyway, maybe Clara's right. Maybe it would be better if there was a Slytherin house."  
"You can talk!" interrupted Harry, looking up from the book. " _Your_ parents don't die in the first chapter!" Hermione shook her head. "If you're going to fix this Clara, I'm coming with you."


	6. Chapter 6

Clara looked at Harry and Ron. "Are you two coming?" she asked, as Hermione introduced herself to the Doctor. Harry shook his head. "I'm staying behind. This is _my_ life you guys are going to mess up! Anyway, I don't do adventures! I'm just Harry!" Ron walked up and stood by Clara. "But that's what Clara's going to fix!" he protested, as Harry walked back to the door. Harry shook his head. "I'll see you on the other side I guess," he said in means of a reply. Ron shook his head and turned to Clara. "Ok, then lets go!" and cautiously walked into the TARDIS.

Meanwhile, in the TARDIS, the Doctor was not happy. "What, you're not even a little _surprised_ that it's bigger on the inside?" he shouted, as Hermione and Ron stood surveying the TARDIS. Hermione looked at him skeptically. "Well I just presumed that it was an enlargement spell or something," she answered, as Ron slowly walked up to the console. The Doctor groaned, "Magic is not real!" he exclaimed, much to the amusement of Ron. "And you, Pond," he addressed Ron, "Who said you could touch that?" Ron backed away with his hands up. "Sorry, but magic is real, and why am _I_ Pond?" he asked, as the Doctor walked up to him. The Doctor ignored his last question. "Magic is not real!" he exclaimed, as Clara entered the TARDIS. "Oh yeah?" retorted Ron, drawing his wand. "Well I'm Ron Weasly and I'm a wizard!" He fired a spell above the Doctor's head. The Doctor grabbed the wand and scanned it with his screwdriver. He bared his teeth in a smile. "Well _I'm_ the Doctor, and I am some form of a Scientist!" He flicked his screwdriver up again. "Bizarre!" he muttered, almost to himself. "Made out of an organic substance with something in the middle…" he snapped the wand in half. "Oi!" shouted Ron. "That's the only wand I have!"


	7. Chapter 7

"Bizarre natural substance in the middle as well…" continued the Doctor, ignoring Ron's protests. "Anyway Doctor," interrupted Clara. "How exactly are we going to sort this out?" The Doctor shrugged, as he tapped something into the TARDIS keyboard. One of the roundels slid out of the wall, and the Doctor walked over and put Ron's wand into the storage space it created. "It was your idea to fix this," he continued, closing the capsule. "Your idea, therefore _you_ figure out what to do!" he walked back to the TARDIS. "You're on your own Clara." Clara massaged her temples. "How do we add a Slytherin house?" she asked, almost to herself than to anyone else. Hermione gasped. "Wait, who was the founder of Slytherin? In your world I mean," she exclaimed, running up to Clara. "Clara, you're fired!" exclaimed the Doctor, poking his head out from behind the console. "You," he continued pointing at Hermione. "Freckles. You're the new Clara." Hermione blushed, and Clara folded her arms again. "Nice to know I'm appreciated Doctor!"

Meanwhile, Harry grumped his way to detention, formulating an excuse as he went. As expected, Professor McGonagall didn't by any of it. Even more dejected, walking back to the common room, Harry felt weighed down by the absence of Hermione and Ron, and by the reason for their absence. It was as he turned the corner to the Gryffindor common room that he heard them. "Alright Malfoy! Give me your wand!" demanded a voice. "N-no!" stuttered a second voice, which Harry deduced to being Draco's. "I said give me it, NOW!" spat the first voice. Trembling, Harry peered round the corner. Draco Malfoy was being held against the wall by two thickset students in Hufflepuff robes. Opposite him was a squat, snarling figure in the red and gold of Gryffindor. Neville Longbottom. He stepped forward. "Give me the wand Hufflepuff scum, or will Crabbe and Goyle here have to make you?" Crabbe and Goyle grunted menacingly, too thick to realize that their house had been insulted. Harry whipped back around the corner and took in a deep breath. Clara's voice passed through his head. " _If a threat comes along, there will be no heroes to stop it!"_ Harry winced. Then, he heard his own voice. " _The only thing that happened to me in first year was that I broke my leg."_ Suddenly Harry felt courageous. He felt the nerve that was supposed to be a character trait for Gryffindors. Anyway, what was there to lose? If his life was going to change anyway, the least he could do was this. Harry drew up his courage. It was time to be the hero. Drawing his wand, he stepped around the corner. "Oi, Longbottom!" he shouted. "Pick on someone of your own house!"


	8. Chapter 8

"So," said Hermione, pacing around the console. "We need to find this Salazar Slytherin and convince him to found Hogwarts!" She stopped pacing and turned to Clara, just as Ron opened his mouth to speak. "But how?" they asked in unison, as the Doctor scribbled something on one of his blackboards. "Um…" said Clara, tapping her fingers thoughtfully on the console. "We could offer him something…"  
"Like POWER!" shouted the Doctor, tapping on his blackboard with the chalk. In the center of the blackboard, he had written 'POWER' in large letters and underlined it. "Salazar Slytherin is power hungry, or so the books tell me, therefore we offer him something of immense power!" He walked down the stairs. "You, Pond!" he exclaimed, pointing at Ron. "We can offer him your wand!" Ron glared at him. "No!" retorted Ron. "We can't because _you_ snapped it earlier!" The Doctor shrugged and turned to Hermione. "You, Freckles, any ideas?" It was Hermione's turn to shrug. "Maybe we could give him…" she trailed off, to look at Ron who was playing with Scabbers. "An animal! A rare, powerful animal!" she exclaimed.

Clara thought through a list of powerful animals. Phoenix? No. Dragon? No. "Wait," said Hermione, "What kind of animal represents the Slytherin house in your world?" Clara shrugged. "Just a… Snake!" she exclaimed. "Salazar Slytherin was a Parselmouth!" Ron looked at her blankly. "Which means what?" he asked, as Scabbers ran up his sleeve. "It means," continued Clara, "That he could talk to _snakes_! And what is a really powerful snake-like animal?"  
"A _Basilisk_!" finished Hermione, as her eyes widened. "But where are we going to find one?" They all turned to the Doctor. "Don't ask me," he complained. "I don't know of _any_ shape-shifting creatures that could help…" Clara thought of an idea. "Zygons!" she exclaimed, but the Doctor shook his head. "I'd have to bargain with that lot! Anyway, they have nothing to mold themselves on." Clara slumped down into one of the TARDIS chairs. "Then _what_ Doctor?"


	9. Chapter 9

The Doctor flicked a few switches and then pulled a TARDIS monitor round to face Clara and the others. "Freckles, what are the characteristics of a Basilisk?" he demanded, putting Hermione on the spot. "Um, they're spawned by hatching a chicken egg under a frog…"  
"Impossible!" interrupted the Doctor.  
Hermione glared at him, but continued. "They are gigantic snakes, male Basilisks often have a plume on their heads, and…" she paused a moment. "Oh yes, if you look them in the eyes, they'll kill you." Clara jumped up. "But…" she started, "If you look at them indirectly they paralyze you…" The Doctor waved his hands in dismissal. "We'll never be able to find something like _that_ around _here_!" he declared, typing the characteristics into the TARDIS. "But the TARDIS can search for a similar species… and… there we go! The Ksilisab of Ilisab Minor. " He flipped a couple of switches. "Um…" started Hermione. "I swear Ksilisab is just Basilisk backwards!" The Doctor shrugged and pulled the de-mat lever. Ron held on to the railings as the TARDIS started to de-materialize.

In the middle of a dungeon like room, Salazar Slytherin muttered to himself. _What is the matter?_ asked the python which wound its way lazily around the branches protruding from the ceiling. _Stupid Godric Gryffindor!_ he replied, pounding his potion ingredients into a pulp. _The fool wants me to help found his stupid school. A school for half-bloods and muggle borns! Not just pure bloods!_ he dropped the pulp into the cauldron. Then a wheezing sound came from behind him. "What?" he asked, confused, as the potion started to bubble. The python slid up the branch, away from the noise. Slytherin watched, amazed, as a blue box materialized in his dungeon. Slowly the doors creaked open, and coils and coils of snake slid out of it. At the snake's head was a man with grey hair and ferocious eyebrows. "Good sir," stuttered Slytherin. "How did you tame such an immense beast?" The man shrugged. "Magic," he said, patting the creature's head. "Anyway, you can have it, on one condition." Salazar Slytherin absent mindedly stirred his potion, ignoring the strangeness of the man on the snake. "Which is?" he asked, sprinkling some beetle eyes into the cauldron. "You help to found Hogwarts."


	10. Chapter 10

"No," replied Salazar Slytherin. "I'm not helping to found a school that will have muggle borns and half-bloods. Did Gryffindor send you?" The Doctor looked at the man with distaste. He patted the Ksilisab's head. "Well, you can just leave after you found it. All we need is for you to found it." The man carefully bottled the potion he was making and then turned back to the Doctor. "Why is it wearing a blindfold?" he asked finally, slipping the bottle into the pocket of his robes. "Because if it looks you in the eye, you die," replied the Doctor. The man's face suddenly became more interested. "Does it obey orders?" he asked casually edging closer. The Doctor pretended to think about it. "Yes, but only if you can speak snake, I mean, not even _I_ can speak snake!"  
"It's a deal!" exclaimed Slytherin. "Oh, what's it called?"  
"This?" asked the Doctor. "A Basilisk."

"So he just took it?" asked Clara incredulously, as the Doctor maneuvered the TARDIS out of the dungeon. "Yep," he answered, pulling two levers at once. Hermione stepped up. "He probably assumed that you were a powerful wizard, and it was in his interests to do what you said. That's how most wizards work these days."  
"Um… Hermione…" interrupted Ron, trembling. "You're going see-through!" Hermione looked down at herself. "What's happening Doctor?" she asked, turning her hands over slowly. "Nothing to worry about," replied the Doctor. "Your time-line is resetting. Changing to cope with the addition of Slytherin house. You'll just live your life out again, with no memory of anything. Or we could've broken time beyond repair, but no matter…"  
"What?" shouted Ron, transparent as a pane of glass. The they both vanished, leaving the Doctor and Clara alone in the TARDIS. "So," said the Doctor, "Bournemouth?"

Harry rushed down the hallways of Hogwarts, carrying an armful of books. Ron followed behind him, rushing past first years in an effort to reach their class on time. "Slow down Harry!" panted Ron as he doubled over, clutching his stomach. "What was that about the black dog?" Hermione appeared next to him and rolled her eyes. "Honestly Ronald, if we are late _now_ Professor Snape is going to kill us!" Ron stood up. "When did _you_ get here?" he asked suspiciously, as Harry picked up his pace. "I've been here the whole time!" exclaimed Hermione, quickly tucking her necklace away. "I never was anywhere else." As they ran for the dungeons, Neville Longbottom caught up with them. "Do we have Potions next?" he asked, wheezing as much as Ron. "It's just Malfoy took my books away. Can I borrow yours?" Ron looked at Harry. "Of course!" he replied, generously. They sped past an empty classroom. Hermione stopped for a moment. It almost seemed like there was something missing, something at the back of her mind… She shrugged it off and kept running.


	11. Also by this author

Also by this author,

The Saga of Narina:

Life at Home

Walking on air

Glory Days

Other:

The Mystery of the Plastic Hand

Elodie's Key

Do I Know You


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